Shipping container assembly and garment hanger therefor



M. L. BAcHARAcH oct. 14, 1969 SHIPPING CONTAINER ASSEMBLY AND GARMENT HANGER THEREFGR Filed Sept. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l. A. A 4.,.

INVENTOR. MELVIN L. BACHARACH BY /M/MM//Q/u/'C/ mmm/1444,@

ATTORNEYS Oct. 14,*1969 m.A L. BAcHAAcH SHIPPING CONTAINER ASSEMBLY AND GARMENT HANGER THEREFGR med sept. 15. 1967 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MELVN L, BACHARAC H BY l/u, Mfr-416C,

l ATTORNEYS United States Patent O M 3,472,360 SHIPPING CONTAINER ASSEMBLY AND GARMENT HANGER THEREFOR Melvin L. Bacharach, San Rafael, Calif., assigner to Levi Strauss 8: Co., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Sept. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 670,825 Int. Cl. B65d 85/L8 U.S. Cl. 206-7 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garment hanger comprising a unitary construction formed with slots for engaging trousers or skirts weaved therethrough forms a display piece and supports garments in a box from the upper side edges of the box. A shipping container encloses both the box and the hangers in a manner whereby the hangers serve to add rigidity to the shipping container. Folded panels at the ends of the box resiliently urge the display pieces into compacted relationship. A second embodiment employs mere side panels in contiguous relation to the side walls of the shipping container. These panels are folded inwardly at their upper edges to form hanger support rails for holding the hangers lrrnly within the shipping container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains generally to shipping containers and more particularly to a shipping container assembly for shipping a quantity of garments, each supported upon an associated garment hanger construction of a type suitable to be directly placed on display by a retailer, wherein the garment hanger further serves to form a strengthening brace for the shipping container in transit.

Heretofore, garments such as trousers, skirts, and the like have been shipped in bulk quantities to retailers in a manner whereby the retailer must, upon receipt of the shipment, place each garment upon a han-ger for display. Frequently, the retailer will merely stack a large group of the trousers in a single pile or in various subpiles and display the merchandise in that somewhat unappealing manner.

To combat this, the garment maker may encourage a more appropriate display of the garments by preloading garment hangers with the garments. This procedure, however, entails increased handling of the garments with a commensurate increase in cost. Furthermore, the additional handling involved in packaging such garments may serve to render this procedure an unattractive alternative.

OBJECTS Additional problems in this regard are encountered in handling the garments in the plant of the manufacturer prior to shipment of the garments and, accordingly, it is a general o'bject of the present invention to provide an improved shipping container assembly and garment hanger therefor whereby the garments can be individually hung upon garment hangers, ready for direct display by a retailer, with the hangers being placed within boxes handled within the plant prior to shipment whereby a complete group of garments can be readily packaged in an outer shipping container.

It is another object of the invention to provide a shipping container assembly wherein a garment hanger within the container serves to provide a strengthening brace participating in the maintenance of the spaced relation between the sides of a shipping box and which also supports the top of the shipping box relatively rigidly.

3,472,360 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, there is provided a shipping container assembly for shipping a quantity of garments. The assembly includes a rectilinear box which is open at the top for receiving `garment articles to be shipped. The upper edges of the side walls of the box form supporting rails adapted to engage and support the ends of garment hangers resting thereon. A group of these garment hangers (each of which includes end portions formed to engage the rails to support and carry garments within the box), are assembled in the box upon the rails, and facilitate in-house handling of a 'shipment prior to packaging and shipping same. The upper edges of the garment hangers serve to support the overfolded closure flaps of an outer box which forms a shipping container for both the inner box and the group of garments therein. Further, the ends of the garment hangers serve as cross braces positively spacing the walls of the inner box from the walls of the outer box in a manner whereby the walls of the outer box are positively spaced apart one from the other as well as from the walls of the inner box.

In addition to the above, the shipping container assemlbly further contemplates the utilization of folded corrugated cardboard springs located at each end of the group of garment hangers so that the contents of the shipment will be firmly held in place within the shipping container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partially broken away showing a shipping container assembly, according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevation section view taken transversely of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 with the top closure panels disposed in overfolded relation;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail plan view in section taken at the level of the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, and showing the action of one of the folded, cardboard springs;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation view of a garment hanger construction, according to the invention;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation section View taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is `an elevation section detail view showing the side wall construction of a shipping container assembly for shipping a quantity of garments according to another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a shipping container assembly 11 comprising a shipping box 12 of suitable material, such as corrugated cardboard, providing a relatively sernirigid structure, and a prepackaging handling assembly 13 contained within shipping box 12.

The shipping box 12 includes two pairs of top closure panels 16, 17, respectively, formed as a portion of the side walls 18 and end walls 19 of container 12, and bottom closure panels 20.

The prepackaging handling assembly 13 comprises an inner box 14 of a dimension whereby the end walls 21 lie in contiguous relation to the inner surface of end walls 19. In this manner, the double thickness of a pair of walls 19, 21 at each end of assembly 11 provides a desirable stiffening of the assembly 11.

The width of box 14 is dimensioned with respect to the width of box 12 so as to provide gaps 23 for preserving a relatively large spacing between each pair of side walls 18, 22. Such spacing serves to aid in protecting the contents of the box 14 during shipment.

It will be readily evident that gaps 23 permit assembly 13 to be very easily placed within box 12 at the time of shipment. Prior to shipment, however, box 14 provides a simple vehicle for carrying and assembling garments from station to station within a plant as now to be described.

A garment hanger 26 serves to support garments, such as a pair of folded trousers or a folded skirt, between the side walls 22 of box 14. Each garment hanger 26 is adapted to further constitute a rigidifying brace when disposed for carrying trousers within box 14. Garment hanger 26 is formed from a unitary panel of semirigid material, such as corrugated cardboard. Each hanger 26 includes end portions 27 dimensioned and adapted to overhang and engage the upper edges 28 of side walls 22.

Each garment hanger 26 includes a body portion 29 disposed intermediate end portions 27 and formed with a pair of transversely extending slots 31, 32. Each slot 31, 32 is formed in a die-cut manner whereby a flap 33, 34, respectively, remains hinged along fold lines 36, 37. Flaps 33, 34 are respectively bent away from the opposite faces of body portion 29 so as aid in holding a garment draped thereacross.

As shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 5, a pair of trousers 38 are draped first through the upper slot 31 and then reversely fed through the lower slot 32. By virtue of the action of flap 33 (and 34), downward pull in the direction of arrow 39 will serve to draw the edge of flap 33 (and 34) toward the upper edge of its slot 31 (or 32) and thereby pinch or bind trousers 38 firmly whereby they will not fall from the garment hanger.

The end portions 27 of garment hangers 26 each include a notch 41 formed in conjunction with body portion 29. Thus, a gradually upwardly and outwardly enlarging surface 42 commences at the side of body portion 29 and extends upwardly and outwardly to merge with and form a side of notch 41. Notches 41 are dimensioned, disposed and adapted to receive edges 28 and to embrace the opposite sides of each of side walls 22 to support garments 38 hung therefrom. When so engaged, each garment hanger 26 serves to positively and rigidly space the side walls 22 of box 14 from each other. Furthermore, as a display piece, notches 41 readily accommodate placement of hangers 26 onto spaced supports of a retail display.

Each end portion 27 includes a supporting edge 43 adapted to overhang and rest unattached upon edges 28. End portions 27 further include a downwardly depending tab 44 adapted to engage the outside surface of inner box 14. Each tab 44 serves to form a wedge portion whereby after assembly 13 has been inserted into shipping container 12, downward pressure applied to the upper edges 46 of hangers 26 will cause tabs 44 to be wedged downwardly into position so as to positively and rigidly define the spacing between the outside surface of inner box 14 and the inner surface of the side walls 18. Thus, when closure panels 16, 17 are overfolded, it will be readily apparent that the upper edges 46 of garment hangers 26 serve to define a support plane located above the upper edges 28 of the side walls of the box whereby the support plane will substantially correspond to the plane of the undersurface of the overfolded closure panels 16, 17.

End compression panels 47, 48 are interposed between the end walls 21 of box 14 and the garment hangers 26 carried therein. End panels 47, 48 are yieldingly urged so as to compress garment hangers 26 together and thereby maintain them firmly packed within the box.

In order to yieldingly urge panels 47, 48 towards one another, it will be readily evident that panels 47, 48 form but a portion of a larger sheet of semirigid material, such as corrugated cardboard, folded to yieldingly disposed panel portions 47, 48 away from a pair of side panel portions which have been folded to lie in a plane spaced 4 from the plane of the first associated panel portion 47 or 48.

Thus, it will be apparent that the sheets of corrugated cardboard employed to form the springs provided by panels 47, 48 are folded to comprise a first panel portion 47, 48 disposed in an upright plane, a second and third panel portion 49 disposed in an upright plane and spaced from the first named panel, and also fourth and fifth panel portions 51, 52 also disposed in an upright plane and joining the first panel portion, eg., 47, respectively to the second and third panel portions 49.

The resilience of the line of fold provided at the end of each panel 51, 52 serves to yieldingly urge the pressure panels 47 away from the plane of the end walls 21. Furthermore, the resilient urging also serves to tend to expand panels 49 laterally outwardly towards side walls 22. In this manner, panels 49 will ultimately engage side walls 22 and preclude further lateral expansion.

From the foregoing, it will be readily evident that the upper edges 28 of side walls 22 serve to define elongated support rails spaced laterally inwardly of the inner surface of the side walls 18 of shipping container 12.

According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG- URE 6, panel means are provided in the form of a separate sheet 53 of semirigid material, such as corrugated cardboard, extending along the length of side wall 18. Sheet 53 is folded along the fold line 54 so that the upper margin portion 56 bends laterally inwardly of side wall 18. In this manner, the upper edge of panel 53 forms a support rail 57 adapted to function similarly to the function provided by edges 28.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 6, it will be evident that garment hangers 26 wedge the margin portions 56 away from the inner surface of side walls 18 in a manner comparable to the manner shown in the earlier embodiment.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 6 will be found suitable in those applications wherein the shipping container 12 need not be loaded as a separate operation such as at the end of an assembly line or otherwise utilized in a manner separate and apart from the function of box 14.

From the foregoing, it will be readily evident that there is provided an improved shipping container assembly of a type whereby garments supported individually upon their hangers may be accumulated in a container while being handled within a manufacturing or assembly plant. As garments are ultimately accumulated to the extent desired in their container, it is relatively easy for the assembly to be inserted into an outer shipping container by virtue of the accommodation provided by the relatively wide gaps 23 thus formed.

On the other hand, considerable rigidity to the entire package is provided by virtue of the fact that the end walls of both the inner and outer containers are in contiguous relationship and the side walls of the two containers, even though widely spaced to ease the assembly problem and provide protective spacing to safeguard the contents of the inner box, are firmly and rigidly held in spaced relation with respect to each other by means of wedges provided by the downwardly depending tabs 44 which serve to engage the confronting surfaces of each pair of walls 22, 18. This wedging action is enhanced by the packer when closure panels 16, 17 are overfolded across the top edges 46 of hangers 26, and such overfolded panels are bottomed onto the top edges 46 for further security.

Finally, upon receipt by the retailer, the garment hangers 26 are immediately ready to be directly displayed upon suitable racks forming spaced supports adapted to engage notches 41.

I claim:

1. In a Shipping container assembly for shipping a quantity of garments, means forming a rectilinear boxlike container open at the top for receiving garment articles to be shipped, said container including side walls, the upper edges of said side walls defining elongated, longitudinally extending supporting rails adapted to engage and support the ends of garment hangers resting thereon, the hanger supporting portion of each of said upper edges being continuous and unobstructed to permit said hangers to slide therealong, a plurality of garment hangers each including end portions formed to engage said rails to support and carry garments within said container, and a second box-like container comprised of spaced end and side walls, and top and bottom closure panels, said second container enclosing the first named said container and said hangers, said end portions when engaging said rails serving to substantially dene and maintain spacing between the respectively adjacent side walls of said containers.

2. A shipping container assembly for shipping a quantity of garment articles comprising a box having end walls, side walls, and bottom and top closure panels, said panels lying in spaced planes, means forming panels with- -in said box and adjacent said side walls defining elongated hanger-supporting rails, the supporting portion of each of said rails being continuous and unobstructed to permit hangers supported thereon to slide therealong, said support rails Ibeing disposed to extend along each of the side walls and spaced inwardly thereof to form a gap between each rail and the adjacent side wall of the box, a plurality of garment hangers each formed of a unitary semirigid panel and including an upper support edge and end portions formed to engage said rails to dispose said upper support edges of the hangers to substantially deiine a plane, said plane lying in supporting relation beneath said closure panel, said end portions when engaging said support rails serving to wedge into said gaps so as to form braces spacing said side walls and supported iirmly by said rail supports while preserving said gaps.

3. A shipping container assembly according to claim 2 further including end panels interposed between the ends of the box and garment hangers carried upon said support rails, and means serving to yieldingly urge said end panels to compress said garment hangers together to maintain them lirmly packed within the box.

4. A shipping container assembly according to claim 3 wherein said end panels are formed of a sheet of corrugated cardboard folded to yieldingly dispose a first panel portion with respect to second and third panel portions lying in a plane spaced from the plane of the first panel portion and serving to press said garment hangers together.

5. A shipping container assembly according to claim 3 further including an inner box and wherein said panel means forming elongated support rails comprises the spaced side walls of an inner box disposed within the first named box, said inner box including side walls spaced substantially parallel to the first named side walls to form said gap, the adjacent parallel side walls of the boxes being maintained firmly and positively spaced apart by said end portions of said garment hangers lodged therebetween, saidinner box including end walls substantially contiguous to the first named end walls to form stiiiened ends to the assembly while said plane of Igarment hanger support edges supports the top closure panel of the lirst named box when said closure panel is folded over and closed across said garment hangers.

6. A shipping container assembly according to claim 2 further including end panels interposed between the 65 ends of the box and garment hangers carried upon said support rails wherein said end panels are formed of a sheet of corrugated cardboard folded to comprise a iirst panel portion disposed in an upright plane, second and third panel portions disposed in an upright plane spaced from the first named upright plane, and fourth and fifth panel portions disposed in upright planes and resiliently joining said first panel portion respectively to said second and third panel portions, said fourth and fifth panel portions being disposed to yieldingly urge said first panel aas@ portion away from the plane of said second and third panel portions and in a direction to bear against the plurality of garment hangers, the second and third panel portions being disposed to bear against one of said end Walls, said fourth and iifth panel portions serving to further urge said second and third panel portions to expand laterally outwardly toward said side walls.

7. A garment hanger construction comprised of a unitary panel including end portions dimensioned and adapted to overhang and engage support rails, said garment hanger further including first and second transversely extending slots spaced one above the other adapted and disposed to carry garments disposed therethrough, one of the edges of at least one of the slots carrying a closure iiap bent to extend away from the plane of a face of the panel so as to aid in holding a garment draped through the associated slot and laid across said iiap.

8. A `garment hanger according to claim 7 wherein each of said slots is formed with a ilap portion, said flap portions being respectively bent away from the opposite faces of said panel so as to aid in holding a garment draped across the edge of each iiap, said flaps being disposed relative to an associated slot whereby downward pull on said garment serves to draw the edge of the flap toward the upper edge of its associated slot and thereby bind said trousers firmly.

9. In a garment hanger construction comprising a single unitary substantially rigid panel formed with a garment-receiving elongated window therethrough, said window providing a sill for engaging and supporting a garment passed through the window and draped across the sill, a flap portion hinged at said sill and disposed and adapted to underlie said trousers in said window, said flap portion normally extending away from that face of said panel whereby downward pull acting on the trousers serves to draw the flap portion toward the window to pinch the trousers between said flap portion and the edge of said window.

10. In a shipping container assembly, a first box, a garment hanger construction for supporting garments between the side walls of said rst box and adapted to further form a rigidifying brace when disposed for carrying garments within the iirst box, said Igarment hanger being formed as a unitary panel including end portions dimensioned and adapted to overhang and engage the upper edges of the side walls of said first box, said garment hanger construction being further formed to include and dispose an upper edge of said unitary panel at a level adapted to define a support plane above the upper edges of the side walls of the first box, -a second box containing said lirst box, said plane substantially corresponding to the plane of the undersurface of overfolded closure panels of said second box enclosing both the lirst box and said garment hangers, the ends of said garment hangers serving to provide positive spacing of the inner wall of said second box from the outer Wall of said irst box.

11. A garment hanger construction according to claim 10 wherein said end portions of said garment hanger construction each includes a notch formed in conjunction with a body portion 'of said panel, said notches being dimensioned, disposed and adapted to receive the upper edges of and embrace the opposite sides of each of the side walls of said first box to support said garment hangers therebetween while rigidly spacing the walls of the iirst and second boxes from each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,021 5/1951 Goldman.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,235,979 6/1960 France.

JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner 

